Inmates at prisons and jails are typically subject to tight restrictions on their ability to contact people outside the facility. These restrictions exist in part to prevent inmates from contacting victims and witnesses of crimes for which they are accused or convicted. The limitations on outside contact are also intended to prevent inmates from conducting criminal activities or contacting current and former gang members and partners in crime while the inmate incarcerated.
A prison telephone system may be available in the facility to allow inmates to make calls to permissible telephone numbers. The inmates are usually allowed to make telephone calls to family, friends and other persons using the prisoner phone system at the discretion of the prison staff. Certain telephone numbers are restricted from inmate calls for legal, operational and security reasons. Inmates are required to provide a list of the telephone numbers that they desire to use while in custody. If approved by the prison staff, these telephone numbers are added to the inmate's Pre-Approved Number (PAN) list. This list will contain numbers for family, friends, and attorneys, for example. There may be a limitation on how many telephone numbers are allowed on the PAN list and/or how many of the numbers may be changed within any month. The inmates are restricted to calling only telephone numbers on the PAN list or approved open numbers, such as an inmate tip line or help line.
Each inmate on first admission to prison will have a personal account created, known as a prisoner account, to maintain the inmate's funds. Any money in the possession of the inmate is credited to this account. Additional funds may be added to the account whenever money is received by the prisoner from friends or family and from wages paid to the prisoner for work he performs while in custody.
Inmates may use the money held in their accounts to purchase goods and services through the prison or vendor commissary which may also include telephone calls. As well, inmates may be allowed to purchase items from an approved list of goods not stocked in the commissary, such as flowers and gifts, for friends and family members outside the facility. The funds for such purchases are deducted from the prisoners' accounts.
In some facilities, prisoners order items from a bubble sheet, phone, or kiosk a selection of goods offered by a commissary service. A contract service provider may handle the supply of commissary goods under contract with the prison. The inmates may purchase goods using these mediums on a weekly or more frequent basis. Inmate orders are passed to the commissary operator. The items in the accepted orders are collected, placed inside sealed bags and then delivered to the inmates.
In this embodiment, inmates can be routed to an IVR or call center from an inmate telephone system for the purchase of goods and services. The cost for calls made by the inmate is deducted from the inmate's account or from a separate telephone account, such as a prepaid calling account. Each time the inmate makes a call the telephone system logs the call and deducts money from the inmate's account at the appropriate call rate. Inmate calls will typically be recorded.
Upon release from prison, the inmate's trust and calling accounts are closed and the funds are returned to the inmate.